Sentence First, Trial Later
by DarwinWasMyDarling
Summary: Three months into Bane's revolution and Gotham is in a crisis state. Every man for themselves and only those with connections will survive. When humanity is at its most desperate state, can Dr. Elizabeth Razumov negotiate with devil for not only her survival, but the other refugees as well? The Judge will be the one to deliver her sentence. One-shot.


A/N: Well this is my first one-shot and M rated story: so I hope you enjoy!

Plot: Three months into Bane's revolution and Gotham is in a crisis state. Every man for themselves and those with connections will survive. When humanity is at its most desperate state, can Dr. Razumov negotiate with devil for not only her survival, but the other refugees as well?

Warning: This is an M rated story! There will be language, sexuality and unpleasant situations. If you are against any of this: DO NOT READ. Thank you

Disclaimer: I don't own the brilliant minds of Christopher Nolan or the writers of the Batman Series. This is purely for fan purposes only.

**Sentence First, Trial Later**

"And to whom do I owe this... pleasure of your acquaintance?" the smooth voice of the famed doctor turned psychopath seemed to echo throughout the office. One would almost mistake this scene as a typical lawyer/ client appointment, if one ignored the disaster state of the city just outside the windows and the face of the lawyer in question. For this man was not a lawyer, nor had he ever been interested in the law, far from it. He was a doctor.

But right now, he was the judge.

Scanning her with his cool blue eyes, which showed smugness to the point of being boredom, Dr. Crane had already managed to psychoanalyze the woman sitting in front of him. He waved the guards standing beside her away, letting the room belong entirely to them. Observing her, he realized that oh sure, she put on a brave front. But the slight shaking of her hand, the dirty clothes and the way she would stare just over his eyes, never making direct contact: this all pointed to the obvious fact that she was terrified at being here, her mental stability probably not in the best shape due to the... circumstances of the last few months.

**_Yeah, "circumstances". She hasn't eaten in weeks. Pathetic. The least she could do is whore herself out properly instead of grovelling at my feet._ **The all too familiar voice growled lowly in the doctors head.

_Hush_ he replied _Let's see what she wants._

**_Whatever_** snorted the voice inside his head.

"Hello... Dr. Crane" the reply came from the woman sitting in front of him, squeezing her left index finger slightly in a subconscious gesture to stop shaking. The woman sitting in front of him was Dr. Elizabeth Razumov, a practical neurologist who worked at the Gotham General Hospital before Bane's revolution. A thirty something year old woman with untamed dark honey hair (but at the moment was tattered with grime), which fell into curls, waves, ringlets and wisps around her pale head and face. Her entire skin was pale, paler than what can be considered healthy. Her cheeks had just began to slightly hollow due to the poor diet she was surely surviving meagerly on. Her dull blue eyes spoke of oppression and insecurity. Her overall appearance was a little dirty but most of all tired.

_**Disgusting, she stinks. She's just another one of those pathetic citizens, wallowing in their own pity, in their own FEAR of the unknown, of death, of whatever other emotions make them feel self entitled to being melodramatic.**_

_I said be quiet._ The doctor stopped his analysis and inner monologue. He didn't need his... more primary instincts to get involved in this, he needed to rationally figure this woman out, then probably kill her for wasting his time.

But the voice of his inner demons wouldn't quiet _**I give her twenty minutes max. If she doesn't say anything useful, then get rid of her.**_

_Fine_ the doctor's patience was wearing thin. He began to observe the woman once more, who's mouth formed into a tight line.

"Well of course you know my name" Dr. Crane said, the condescending tone escaping his voice, "But I'm afraid I don't know yours" he spoke in his elegant voice, although Elizabeth didn't trust for a second the mildness or innocence of his statement. This was, after all, the man who around a decade ago, managed to cause the entire Narrows to almost rip each other apart in fear. If there was anyone to be truly afraid of, it was the blue eyed psycho-pharmacologist sitting inconspicuously in his chair right in front of her.

A slight hesitation in her otherwise firm statement gave away her anxiety, "Dr. Elizabeth Razumov" she opted for mentioning that she was a doctor to hopefully gain some equal footing (although she knew that the chances of him showing her even an ounce of respect due to her position were slim to none).

"Ah yes, neurologist at Gotham General if am I not mistaken?" he asked rhetorically. Of course he would know, she hardly put it past Crane to not know a doctor within Gotham who also worked with the mind. Although, mind you, in not such a perverted fashion.

"Correct" she affirmed, not knowing exactly what to say next.

"How dull. Nothing notable to your name is there? Shame." he said in mock pity, inwardly smirking in pride.

Her temper simmered, "Well I must admit my work has been nowhere near... as unique as your own" she replied, fake appraisal laced into her words. _Two can play this game_ she thought, although without any trace of smugness or confidence.

_**Ha! The little bitch has an attitude. Oh this should be fun.**_ The inner voice laughed at, well frankly, the balls it must have taken her to say even such a poorly disguised and executed jab at his criminal life.

_Agreed. Now silence, this should be getting interesting._

The Scarecrow smiled, although without a trace of kindness or reassurance. No, this is the smile of a predator, and a predator who has just decided to begin the chase.

"Of course you have heard of my work, it is indeed... thrilling, even to someone such as yourself who cannot fully appreciate its glory" he replied smoothly, the pride in his work now apparent in his voice. Elizabeth shifted slightly in her seat.

"I hardly see what is there to admire about a man dressing in rags and scaring citizens all in the name of 'science'" Dr. Razumov boldly stated. She was staring straight ahead, her whole body tense, as if waiting for that remark to get her shot.

_**Wow, she's pretty shit at this begging thing, isn't she? As if insults will honestly...**_

_Patience my friend. She may actually have a plan. _

_**Right, I say get rid of her now. Fuck her, she's useless.**_

This is when Dr. Crane decided to stand up. He knew how height can give off an appearance that can intimidate people, this being a method he's used all too many times. "How naive of you, especially for a fellow doctor as yourself. I would have hoped that you of all people could respect the power of emotions over the human psyche" he spoke as he circled around his desk, calmly walking over to his bookshelf, idly looking through the titles.

Pursuing her lips, Elizabeth wasn't about to let the infamous Scarecrow intimidate her into submission: absolutely not. "But history is filled with all sorts of examples of people who believed they were doing to right thing in the name of an idea. The Crusaders, terrorists, suicide bombers ...everyone believes what they're doing is right and a benefit-"

Dr. Crane rolled his eyes, although she couldn't see it, and replied: "But you see, I am as you put it: 'unique'."

Dr. Razumov's eyebrows furrowed, "Oh? And how do you figure" she asked, with just a hint of venom in her voice.

"I know what I'm doing isn't right. How could it be? Our society has spent centuries sheltering itself from anything 'unorthodox', inhibiting it from progressing forward-"

"No!" at this Crane raised a sceptical eyebrow (yet still he did not turn away from his books) as Elizabeth jumped up, "Society created these morals to protect itself from harm, it's self defence, not self mutilation!" she exclaimed.

Crane snorted, "So you suppose anything unorthodox should be immediately qualified evil? Nietzsche, Freud, Milgram and Zimbardo have given nothing to society with their unmoral experiments and ideas?" he hissed, his entire demeanour changing from calm and relaxed, to tense and slightly aggressive.

"No. Of course not. We can't always follow the rules. But you, what were you trying to prove? That fear rules all? Well congratulations, I'm pretty sure Darwin managed to sum up that conclusion 150 years ago" Elizabeth spat in reply. At first, the entire room was quiet, save for the occasional gun shot or scream faintly heard from the outside. Dr. Razumov was breathing deeply while Crane stood still as a statue. Nobody moved, nobody even dared to breath.

_**That little bitch!**_

And then, almost in the blink of an eye, Jonathan Crane was standing right in front of her, seizing her by the shoulders in a tight grip. Gone was the calm and collected face of the doctor, now she was witnessing first hand the power of the Scarecrow. And boy was she scared.

"So, you think you can come in here and question what I do? Huh, Doctor?" he spat the title in disgust, his face contorted in barely controlled rage. It was obvious that his Scarecrow persona was beginning to come out, that part of him which longed to taste fear and demanded respect from it. "You think that you understand what I do? I think, you should learn to hold your tongue before I've decided that you've wasted enough of my time and dispose of you" he seethed.

The frightened doctor stood there, trembling at the proximity of this... psychopath, this man that truly believed in the power of fear. They were practically nose to nose, and she could clearly see the light blue eyes darken with rage. He looked terrifying: so he had certainly managed to prove his point. She wanted to simply close her eyes and forget that this was all her idea to try and negotiate with the devil himself.

She gulped.

"Well," with that he jerked her back and forth, as if to shake her out of her reverie, "Do you have anything to say before I throw you out?"

_**Oh but her fear is simply delicious! Keep her. I mean look at her, she's just shaking like a lamb. You can practically smell the fright coming off of her. Isn't it wonderful Johnny boy?**_

_Yes, yes, it's... fascinating. But now is not the time._

"Well?" he repeated his patience truly waning thin. While the predator was already deciding the fate of the prey, Elizabeth was trying to think of any possible way of getting out of this mess. This wasn't suppose to happen! How could she let her emotions get the best of her when she had been planning for days on how she would try and persuade the mad doctor.

"I-I didn't come here to talk about semantics doctor" she whispered in a hurry rush, afraid that if her voice went any higher then a hush, he would snap. "I wanted to... to negotiate." she said more firmly, looking away from his piercing gaze.

_Ahh, so she's finally remembered why she came in here for. Clever girl, trying to divert my attention_ he reluctantly thought. Straightening himself up, although keeping his firm grip on her arms he spoke, his voice returned to his quieter and more analytical tone: "Looks like we finally figured out why you've come here. Pity you couldn't have saved time and spat it out earlier. What makes you so sure I'll be inclined to help you?" his smooth tone was back, reminding her that he himself was a scholar, and had the ability of switching between educated psychologist and mad psychopath.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and watched as Crane let go of her arms and stepped back, giving her a semblance of space.

_Ha! As if I actually have a choice. One wrong move and I'm good as dead_ Dr. Razumov thought bitterly as she racked through her brain for the best way to persuade the doctor to listen to her and not kill her.

"I want to ask you... if you could find it in you to listen to my plea-"

"Please Ms. Razumov, do not insult my intellect by pretending to be some doe eyed symbol of innocence and injustice. Trust me, pity is one virtue I do not have" Dr. Crane cut off the rambling woman, causing her eyes to widen slightly and quickly think of a new approach that wouldn't piss off the Scarecrow.

"Alright. I will cut formalities and ask you straight up: I need help." Elizabeth spoke clearly and strongly, backing up her words with what she hoped would be bricks and unbreakable steel.

_Clearly. And now we're getting to the interesting part _

"And so you decided that the best person to ask for aid would be the infamous Scarecrow?" he asked sceptically, mocking her logic before giving her a chance to explain.

_That should knock her down a peg._

"I won't pretend that I've honestly thought of you as my first option doctor." she began slowly, trying to gauge his reaction and knowing metaphorically that she was walking on thin ice, "But with situations being as they are, I figured that someone in your...power could listen and be perhaps willing to negotiate with yours truly" she explained her thought process. She believed that telling the truth was probably her best bet. He would most likely see through any of her lies and be much less likely to listen to her persuasion.

"What do you need? Crane asked, his curiosity peeking. Of course, he did have a few ideas as to why this supposedly "good" doctor would come and see someone so known for his perversity and deranged moral complex.

"Medicine. I need medicine" she bluntly stated. They were now both seated as they had been before, Crane analyzing the woman in front of him, and Razumov trying to avoid leaking out any signs of fear.

"Medicine?" Dr. Crane repeated, with the first traces of surprise throughout the entire meeting.

She nodded, "Yeah. I have a... uh..." at this point she paused, not knowing exactly how much information she should reveal. He did after all have access to Bane's mercenaries and probably quite a bit of influence over them.

"Your self entitled 'Court of Miracles'? Don't look so shocked Ms. Razumov, I know all about your supposed underground refugee camp. Clever reference though I must admit" Crane spoke, now a definite smirk crossed his face. Obviously he knew about her refugee camp, with Bane's mercenaries circling Gotham like hawks, it's impossible to keep anything hidden. He knew all about the old sports store that has been turned into a refugee centre, and he knew about her position as founder and leader of this small group of hopeless idealists. Elizabeth just sat there wide eyed, her mind going into overdrive trying to think of what to say or do. But then, a question arose in her mind. She looked at Crane with suspicion.

"Wait a minute. If you knew about the Court of Miracles, why hasn't it been ransacked yet? Why are you allowing it to continue?" she asked. There, addressing him as the authority and power figure would hopefully stroke his ego and be more lenient towards her.

_**Silly girl. If I wanted I could have that pathetic camp wiped out within the hour. Imagine, all those screams and pleas of mercy as she stands there, realizing how entirely at fault she is for their suffering...**_

_Hmmmm, not a bad idea. She seems like the guilty type, if this Messiah complex of hers is anything to go by. But surely she must realize that she's putting all her hopes onto the Scarecrow? Must have been quite a gamble for her to come here then..._

"I allow it to continue only because it's not my place to interfere. Bane is quite aware of this camp and so far has seen no reason to destroy it. After all, _Gotham belongs to its citizens now_" Crane quoted and smirked almost cynically at Bane's words.

"But why allow it? I've seen people being gunned down for less then asking for help to survive" Elizabeth asked. It made no sense. If they were aware of a refugee camp, why allow people to continue living if the entire point is that Gotham destroys itself anyways?

He smirked, a smile so malicious that Razumov thought that he looked more sinister then ever. So here he was going to reveal the grand plan.

"Because Ms. Razumov, it gives them hope. Everyone has less than two months to live anyways, and letting your little rescue group fuel the hope for Gotham will only make your ultimate demise even sweeter when you realize that laying back and accepting it would have been...simpler." he explained coolly and logically. Surely this chit was aware that (not to sound cliche or anything) resistance was ultimately futile and pointless?

Elizabeth sat there for a few minutes, contemplating his words. It made sense of course. They weren't forming a rebellion or anything, they were just surviving as long as their deadline allowed them to. Of course she was aware that unless the Batman miraculously came back, her chances of surviving are slim to none. But the others didn't need to know that, they could keep on hoping, it would make the last two months seem less...tragic.

"I see the gears in your head turning Razumov. Pity such a mind of yours is going to waste. It's honestly quite sad how you are using your last few months on this earth to try and help a bunch of strangers live a few extra weeks." Crane said mockingly as he looked upon the contemplating woman in front of him. He was now dangling the carrot in front of her, waiting to see if she would indeed let her temper get the best of her and try to prove him wrong, that she was indeed doing this for purely altruistic reasons...

Elizabeth sat silently for a few moments before she decided to change the subject, "And are you so sure Dr. Crane, that you will survive the explosion? Surely a scholar such as yourself can logically deduce that your chances of survival are just as slim as mine?" she asked. Did he honestly believe he was above everyone? Did he have an understanding with Bane? Would Bane allow him to escape? After all, it was obvious from his position as "Judge" over Gotham that Bane allowed him some degree of power. She snorted at the hypocrisy of Bane's words, power to the people indeed. She highly doubted that the people elected such a maniac judge to decide the fate of the rich.

_**So she thinks we're on equal terms, huh? Thinks she's got it all figured out does she? Presumptuous little...**_

"Carefully Ms. Razumov. You know what they say about assuming..."

"So you're saying that you are going to survive?" she quickly asked, raising one eyebrow.

Crane pursued his lips slightly as if in thought before answering, "I neither confirm nor deny that question". To this, Razumov raised her other brow as well in a show of surprise. She assumed Crane would be positively bragging about how little time she had and how much power he had over all these lives.

"So are you relishing in the fear of these citizens then?" she asked haughtily.

"Perhaps. Not that it matters in this discussion. So, why is it that you need medicine. Can you not break into some abandoned factory and procure some yourself?" he switched topics before the more primal part of his mind could take over and explain exactly how much he relished in the fear that's been hanging around the city for months now.

"There's a plague going around. Everything's dirty, we're all crammed in a small space and we're hardly in the best physical conditions, people are sick." she explained calmly, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.

"Who cares? Especially you. You are well aware of how little time you all have left. What difference does it make if their lives end now or in two months?" he questioned her motives, leaning slightly forward, his hands crossed and supporting his chin.

After careful consideration, Elizabeth replied, "Because they need this small hope. You're right, they... we will all die. But can't they die peacefully and without suffering?" she asked hopefully, almost on the verge of pleading. As a doctor, it broke her heart to see people in pain. Her cynicism forced her to understand that this is all part of life, and that life is shit, but the doctor in her sympathizes with the miserable and sufferers. Wasn't that the promise she made? That she would stay strong and help people however she could.

It takes one person to bring hope. Just like the Batman. The Batman was one man, right? And he brought hope. Of course, she wasn't a masked avenger who beat up villains, but she could bring hope too.

Crane watched her puzzling over her own thoughts in silence, trying to sort out his own. So, she believed that it was her duty to help these people? Or was there something more behind this reasoning? He supposed that he should find out. While she was busy with her thoughts, Crane's fingers began to itch as he reached down to turn the breather in his mask on.

_**Ohhh**_ his inner voice groaned in longing **_It's been so long. Can't wait to smell and taste her fear. I wonder if she's a screamer? Oh the possibilities..._**

_Focus, we'll get the information we need and then you can have your fun_

_**It's your fun too Johnny boy, you like this part as much as I do. And don't give me anymore of that "it's for science" crap, you like it for the urges too much to say otherwise**_

_I suppose I can't lie to myself_ Crane begrudgingly smirked. His heart began to beat faster at the knowledge that soon... so soon would he be able to revel in her fear. This woman. This Dr. Elizabeth Razumov, this fucking underground hero of Gotham would taste fear like never before. If she thought Bane was terrifying, she hadn't seen anything yet...

The judge has listened to the evidence presented.

At the sound of the click of the breathalyzer being turned on (although she didn't know what it was), Elizabeth snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at Crane and noticed the beginnings of a crazed look in his eyes. It was nothing major; he wasn't laughing manically or showing a face contorted in evil or even damn devil's horns sticking out of his raven hair. No, it was the glaze that covered his eyes and made them look even more icy.

Her instincts screamed that she was in trouble.

Elizabeth wasn't a fool, she knew when it was time to fight, and when it was time for flight. This being one of the times that it was better to flee.

_Screw the medicine, I'll find it somewhere, I don't like the look on his face, time to go._

"W-well Dr. Crane, I can see that we won't come to mutual agreement soon. I can only apologize for wasting time and head myself out." she said and practically sprang up, turning and walking towards the door, her heart beating faster then ever and all the blood rushing to her legs to prepare her to run for his life if he decided to shoot her or call the guards.

_Almost too easy _Crane thought as she spun around and headed for the door. It was obviously locked and she had no escape. He made sure his guards checked her for weapons before gracing her this appointment. And now that she was here, he was going to take advantage of her presence. Sure, he could go out into the streets and use anyone as an experiment, but the common folk of Gotham had basically the same fear: fear of death and the unknown. Boring. Not that, mind you, this woman would probably be any different, but it couldn't hurt to try.

Add a little excitement to his life.

_**The Sandman's coming in his****train ****of cars With moonbeam windows and with wheels of stars So hush you little ones and have no fear The man-in-the-moon he is the engineer The****railroad ****track tis a moonbeam bright That****leads ****right up into the starry night So put on you 'jamas and say your prayers** _The Scarecrow sang in his head, quickly putting on the mask and grabbing his spray from his desk. His little lamb had just approached the door and was twisting it with all her might. But it was hopeless: she was locked in.

"Freeze" he spoke in a low voice, which to his joy, caused visible shivers up her spine. He could see the goosebumps starting to form as she indeed froze in her spot. He could hear her breaths, shallow and quick. He could tell her mind was scrambling for an escape, anyway to escape the impeding nightmare.

_**You can't run little lamb. Let me see what you're hiding.**_

One step, two step and a third step. His long strides had caught up with his victim, who was standing so still one would mistake her of being literally frozen on the spot. He was now right behind her, letting the tension and her fear build up.

"I don't appreciate my time being wasted Ms. Razumov. You came here with a purpose and you will not leave until its fulfilled" he spoke gently, as if calming a small child. What a grand illusion.

Elizabeth's eyes widened in disbelief. No, this is a trap. He wouldn't help her. But she was honestly too scared to turn around. When she had run to the door, she could hear rustling behind her. Oh god, did he have a gun? Was he going to kill her right here? She had closed her eyes for a second, praying to the gods she knew didn't exist that she wouldn't die. She couldn't, she couldn't die so...easily.

Dr. Razumov tensed even further as she felt the Scarecrow lean in, the scratchy fabric of his mask (for now she realized that she was indeed standing in front of the Scarecrow) against her cheek and she began to tremble, biting her lip and praying that she wouldn't utter any sounds of fear.

"Come on doctor, tell me what you really fear" he said venomously, his voice a deep growl now and she knew that she was going to go against the Scarecrow.

Well if she couldn't flee, then she would sure as hell go down with a fight.

Tensing her muscles and preparing to strike was probably what gave her away. But in a split second, Elizabeth snapped her right elbow back to try and gain some space. The Scarecrow foresaw this attack and jumped back, but not before being grazed by the elbow. Spinning around quickly, Razumov swung her arm, aiming straight for the solar plexus. But she was too slow, as the second she turned around, Crane was ready and sprayed a large amount of his infamous fear gas straight into her face, grabbing her wrist as she accidentally breathed in the gas.

And so the nightmare began.

_At first, Elizabeth stood stock still. And then the visions began. The entire room began to visibly shake and alter. Spinning and stopping, then an earth quake appeared and the room was practically jumping up and down. What the hell was happening! Her mind was in buzz, and she was shaking like no tomorrow, trying to find some medium of balance. Help! She tried to scream, but only a hoarse whisper came out._

_And then she looked at the monster in front of her. Crane no longer stood there, now it was the Scarecrow and he looked singly like the most terrifying creature ever. Dropping to her knees, with her wrist still suspended within his tightening (and oh god was that slime she could feel on his hand?) grip. She tried pulling back against the wall, to tighten her arms around her knees and bury her face, to close her eyes to the distorting room and escape. All around her she saw furniture melting and the light bulb shattered, causing her to shriek. The room was taking a darker form, as if it itself was coming alive._

_But she didn't dare look into the eyes of the monster that caused this, because she knew she would lose her mind if she did._

"_Now" suddenly the monster spoke in a low, surreal voice which made her whimper. Oh god! It was nails on a chalkboard, it was the voice of cruelty, the soul of a man who could single-handedly destroy every happy emotion and leave nothing but a shell of a body. _

"_It's time for your judgement" the monster spoke eerily, as if the voice itself was invading her ears and causing the most unpleasant sensation she could every describe._

"_No!" she yelled, and tried to fight off the dark surge that seemed to be radiating off the monster. But she couldn't, looking down she saw her body being grabbed by chains, ropes and binds. Each one slithered and tightened around her, suffocating her to the point where she was sure she couldn't breath. _

"_Fucking hell! Stop! Please stop!" she yelled desperately, closing her eyes as tears slid down. Every breath she took was a desperate gulp of air. Oh god, she was going to die!_

"_No my little lamb, you won't die until I say you do" the voice spoke chillingly, "The fun hasn't even started" he spoke and grabbed her chin, jerking it up and squeezing until she opened her eyes, staring straight into the red eyes of the devil himself._

_She looked down, tearing her eyes away from his. Then she noticed it... her skin was... moving._

_She almost screamed._

_There was something... under her skin! She whimpered as black spots started moving around._

"_Oh god, oh god... get them off of me!" She yelled, scratching her hand, trying to kill whatever was crawling under her skin. But that didn't help, instead, she could feel the skin tear under her finger nails, ripping it away, revealing large black spider that were crawling all over her. There were hundreds of them! They were chewing on her skin, crawling inside, outside and all around her._

"_No... no this isn't real..." she whimpered as she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of thousands little legs and teeth surrounding her. She couldn't move, couldn't swat them off. She kept shaking her head, this couldn't be real! It was some kind of delusional nightmare. _

_Then she heard the monster laughing._

"_Come on my little lamb, scream for me. SCREAM!" The voice distorted and shrieked at a high pitched frequency that forced her to try and cover her ears. But she wouldn't scream: she couldn't!_

"_No... no...no" _

_She could hear an animal like snarl, not even remotely human by nature. It sounded like something that crawled out of the deepest pits of hells._

_Then the monster began to speak, and his words seemed to have an effect on reality for the scene slowly started to shift._

"_You're standing by a set of train tracks which splits off into two directions" The voice seemed to boom from above her, as if he was playing God. Suddenly, the chains and the spiders disappeared. She was standing in a meadow, although it wasn't bright or liberating. It felt dark and as if the atmosphere was squeezing her. A set of train tracks that split off into two directions appeared. _

"_Your husband, your dear lover and soul mate is tied on one division of tracks" and suddenly, there he was. Her husband. He was tied and looked scared as hell. He was screaming._

"_Elizabeth! Love! Elizabeth!" his voice seemed distant, but the effect didn't dampen the obvious terror he was feeling._

"_And on the other, there's five people. You don't know any of these people, have never seen them in your life" and suddenly, on the other division, she saw five people. She couldn't tell their ages or genders, but she also heard their screams of help. She could distinguish the crying of a baby and the pleas of mercy. Elizabeth froze. Oh no..._

"_Pick who you save: your husband or the five strangers. If you don't: they all die" the voice spoke and suddenly, she could hear a train in the distance. No!_

"_No! Please, don't kill them! They're all innocent!" she yelled to the heavens, hoping this voice had mercy on her. She heard the train, approaching quickly, she was running out of time._

"_No!" and with a split decision, she ran towards the five strangers. As fast as her feet could carry her, she ran towards the strangers, pushing the lever that changed the position of the tracks, so the train was heading straight for her husband._

_She froze as she heard the train turn to her husband._

_All she could hear were his screams._

_His accusation..._

"_You killed me!"_

_No... no she didn't kill him... she couldn't! No, no, no, no! _

"_I'm not a killer! I had to... there was five of them..." she screamed as tears poured down, as she saw the train quickly approach and hit her husband: killing him instantly. She froze in shock as his body was destroyed and the last thing she heard were his dying screams. _

"_No..." she called out, then dropped to her knees and yelled to the sky, cursing and crying._

_He's dead... he's dead... he's dead..._

_Suddenly, the world spun around her again, and she closed her eyes from the dizzying sensations. _

"_So you think you're so selfless don't you? Sacrificing your happiness to save five random strangers. How do you know they weren't murderers or rapists? Would they do the same for you I wonder?" The voice spoke, the growl going straight to her heart. _

_Her fault..._

_It was her fault..._

_IT WAS HER FAULT!_

_The world stopped turning. Suddenly she was in a storm, and she was on a little plastic boat. The water was black and practically roaring. The waves were crashing against the boat, threatening it to tip over at any minute. Her nostrils were overflowed with salty water and sweat: intermingling with each other. Thunder and lightning screamed over her head, she couldn't hear a thing! She looked over the side of her boat and saw a pair of bright, red eyes glaring back at her. She shrieked and jumped back. Oh god it was those eyes again!_

"_Can anyone hear me? Help!" She yelled out, hoping that anyone, absolutely anyone would hear her. She was trapped in the middle of the damn ocean. _

_Suddenly, she heard a different scream. Scrambling back to the other side of the small boat, she noticed a man, about a meter away from the boat, screaming and drowning._

"_Help me! Please dear god help me!" he screamed. _

"_Here! Grab my hand!" Elizabeth called out, extending her hand to save the drowning man._

_Suddenly, the thunder began to form words._

"_Save him, and you die" it simply said and then the clapping resumed again. It was almost as if the sky itself was laughing at her predicament._

_Elizabeth looked at the sky, and then at the man in horror. He looked like he was being pulled underwater by death himself. But...but... if she saved him, she would die as well!_

_No... he can't die... he won't die! There had to be another way._

"_Grab my hand!" she yelled. She wouldn't be able to pull him in, but she could keep him from sinking into the depths of the ocean. _

"_Save me! Please!" he screamed at her. She grabbed his fingers and pulled him towards the boat. _

"_It's ok, it's ok, you won't drown... I won't let you" Elizabeth replied grabbing his hand. It'll be ok, he'll be fine, someone will find them and save them._

"_Just hold on, just hold on!" she yelled. _

_Then he started slipping._

"_No! Hold on!" she held onto his hand for dear life. But she... she couldn't pull him up. If she did, then she'd drown..._

"_No god damn it! Hold on!" she screamed at him as he began slipping through her fingers, as if he suddenly had anchors attached to his legs. He looked at her with one final look of desperation, he sunk into the sea, one hand extended out to her._

_And then she saw it._

_The ring on his left hand._

_Her own screams were the last she heard before she passed out._

...

_Well that went surprisingly well thought_ Dr. Crane.

He was standing over the doctor, breathing deeply as she faded into unconsciousness. He almost lost it at one point, her fear was just so intense at the very end.

He wanted to absorb it, to harness it, to own it.

He wanted all that fear to himself.

But now was not the time to indulge in such feelings, now was the time to document this new...discovery of his. Each level of fear he had created and specifically tailored to her reactions so he could get an idea of her subconscious side. The first level was the physical phobia, or arachnophobia he picked. The spiders under the skin were always a good method of testing a person's more instinctual fears. She was frightened of course, but not as full blown terrified as she could have been.

That's when he went onto his next theory: fear of making a choice. Her logical mind made her ideal as the rope trapped in tug of war between personal feelings and numbers. He assumed that she (being a female and more attached to her emotions) would pick her husband to save. But oh was he so happily proven wrong. Instead she picked the five strangers, her mind making the rational choice of saving many lives over one, even for her own personal gain.

So, she picked number of lives over quality of lives.

And that's why the last level of fear was the most crucial. So, she was selfless when it came to others, but what about when she was put on the line? As human beings, Crane knew that people were selfish in nature and always put themselves about the others. He was no exception, though he took pride in being aware of that fact, and not trying to cover it up and pretend to be some "hero". But that's where he was different from the others. Especially this one. He knew that she would put herself before the man, even if she did try to save him.

But the best part was letting her know that she intentionally let this man drown. That she chose to let him die. For the Scarecrow, it's what makes his experiments so worthwhile. To see people realize how their fears cloud their judgement and how corrupted they become because of them.

She wasn't a hero, she was just good at covering up her selfishness.

It got the Scarecrow _very_ excited.

_**Oh that proud little chit! Now she's seen it, who she really is. Now she understands the true power of fear. And. She. Will. Beg. To be released!**_

Crane just stood there over her body, gazing down at her with his glazed eyes, lost in thought as the girl stirred slowly from unconsciousness. Her trip back to the conscious world was a slow recovery. Crane stood silently as her eyes flickered open to stare confusedly at the man who caused her so much terror. The minute her eyes regained focused and she remembered just what happened, she quickly shut her eyes, her breathing becoming deeper. Her face immediately relaxed as relief swept across her face.

_It was just a nightmare_

Elizabeth honestly thought she could break down and cry right about then. What just happened was... simply awful. She had never experienced such powerful and shockingly terrifying visions.

"Now Elizabeth" The Scarecrow dragged out her name as if he was pulling it through the mud, "I suppose, you being a doctor and all, it shouldn't be too difficult for you to figure out what I discovered" he said chillingly. Dr. Razumov shivered.

"You poisoned me"

"Well spotted"

"Why? Why was it so important to look into my subconscious? Would it have honestly changed your opinion on whether to help me or not?" she asked, her eyes still closed, her breathing beginning to even out.

_**She's calming down, not good. We have to keep her nice and scared. **_The voice growled irritatingly. Crane hushed the voice and pushed him back to the recesses of his mind. He would let him come out and play later, when this ordeal has been dealt with.

"Probably not" Crane said and bend down, so he was nearly eye level to the shaken woman, but still retaining his air of superiority and looking down at her, "But surely you can see why my actions were necessary?". _Hardly, she still holds on to the morality over progression taught by those abominations of professors. _He thought smugly.

"You wanted to see what I fear. Well good job, you now know that I'm terrified of dying. Were you honestly expecting anything more?" she spat at him furiously. This was a natural reaction, considering the ordeal she had just gone through.

He snorted, "Hardly. Your fears were predictable and boring. Sure your reactions were amusing enough, but do you honestly think you're special girl? That you could come in here, try and make a deal with the devil and walk out peacefully like a hero?" his voiced began to get lower and lower, deceptively softer as he reached out and took a hold oh her chin, jerking it forward so she had no choice but to look at him.

Dr. Razumov stared at him in part fear, part shock and part disbelief. _Who does he think he is? He is surely mad! One minute he's laughing at my misery, next he's telling me that my fear is hardly worth his time._

"Now," he said and stood up, extending out a hand towards her. He almost had to laugh at the true display of shock on her face when his hand went to help her... only to pick up his fallen mask off the ground, brushing off the dirt and tucking it under his arm, "I do believe we have some negotiations to finish dealing with" he said and walked back around to his desk.

Elizabeth blinked once, then twice, then finally managed to stand up. Her knees were shaking quite a bit from the exertion of her nightmares a few moments ago and from the awkward position she was lying in. As she slowly approached the desk, her mind began turning as all the pieces of the puzzle clicked.

_He was testing me._

That much was clear. For what she wasn't sure. Perhaps this was how all his negotiations began, with a bit of realistic nightmares straight from the darkest parts of the mind. Hell, he might have decided that if she could live through that, he could spare her some medicine. Or maybe he really just got off on fear. All she knew was that for the moment, his "Scarecrow" side had been amused and was now lying dormant... for now. All she had to do was get her medicine, then book it before he decided that some more experiments were in order.

"So, it is to my understanding that you require medicine?" the intellect in front of her said, although he wasn't sitting at his desk anymore.

"Yes. And word has it that you are a man who has... connections to these medications" she said hesitantly.

He nodded, "Well as the top psycho-pharmacologist of Gotham-" this caused Elizabeth to shiver, "-I have been given special access to some quite rare and expensive medications. And I am allowed to use them as I see fit" he replied smoothly.

"I see" Elizabeth said. Good, so far so good. "And is there any way I could convince you to let me have some of these medications...?" she asked.

"No"

"No?"

"No" he replied seriously. She stared at him her mouth gaping open, but quickly closing it. Alright, she had to calm down. He wouldn't have dragged out this meeting longer then necessary if he didn't even bother considering giving her the medicine.

"And why not?" she asked seriously. She had to play her cards right. Now was the time that decided whether she got to save her camp, or let it burn to the ground.

"For the simple fact that you have absolutely nothing to offer me" he replied, but cut her off as she began to speak, "Let's go through the list, shall we? You have no money, and even if you did it, I have no interest in money, especially during times such as these. Any amount of priceless ornaments hold no appeal to me either. So, if no objects hold my attention, what will? You cannot guarantee me anything, for you have less power than I. Let's be realistic here doctor," at this he leaned in, so his arms were supporting his frame as she crossed her arms and looked up at him, "I am the Judge of Gotham City. I have far more connections right now than you could dream of. I could have Bane's men come in here and tell them to splatter the walls with your guts. And they will do it without so much as blinking" he hissed the last threat. Elizabeth didn't dare speak, nor breath or move.

"So, the question remains: what can you possibly offer me?" he asked and leaned back, his content shinning through his arrogant persona. This is when Dr. Razumov decided to take her leap of faith. If this didn't work, well she could always say she tried.

"My services"

"Services?"

_**Slut.**_

"Yes. Even you admitted that it would be a shame to waste my talents on... fighting the inevitable. So I'm prepared to make my sacrifice. If you give me the medicine, I will essentially will be in your debt." she spoke carefully, teetering on the line between what was necessary and her own personal feelings about this whole situation.

_**What a cocky little bitch...**_

Crane chuckled, a dark laugh that gave her the goosebumps, "And you do you think you could possible understand what it means to be in someone's debt?"

"Yes."

"So arrogant, aren't you?"

"I would call it confidence and mutual satisfaction"

"Although it isn't mutual, is it?"

"I'm choosing not to comment on that statement" Elizabeth replied hastily.

"Ah I see," Jonathan Crane grinned darkly. She had no idea the kind of corner she had just backed herself into. "And do you know what I could ask you to do?"

"...Yes"

"I could ask you to do the horrible, the unmentionable. I could ask you to execute children and destroy the lives of many"

"But you won't"

"Excuse me?" Now it was his turn to regard her in disbelief.

"That's right. You have henchmen for that. What am I? I'm a thirty-five year old doctor. You've seen my innermost fears, and as a psychologist, you have probably already analyzed everything there is about me. You know my capabilities. No, we wouldn't be having this conversation if you decided that I would be a good mercenary" she replied confidently. The silence and tension in the room had risen to extreme heights. Elizabeth was afraid of even twitching. She felt as if any sudden movement, and brisk vocalization could spell her death.

"You know, Elizabeth," It was Crane who finally broke the silence, "You're much more intelligent than I gave you credit for" Although the malice in his voice did not even cause her to think of that statement as a compliment for even a second. She chose not to reply.

"Very well" Crane crossed his hands behind his back and straightened up. He was observing her again. In turn, Elizabeth lifted her chin and didn't dare look away from his eyes.

"So if you won't fight for me, what do you think I'll have you do?"

_**Make her suck you off down her throat**_

_There's no need to be vulgar._

"I would assume something to do with your experiments. Perhaps become your guinea pig. Whatever cruel ideas you happen to conjure up" she replied.

"Please doctor, do not pretend to be a saviour sacrificing herself to save the world. You have a choice" _Not really, but let her believe so._

"Yes. And I am choosing to do this"

The Scarecrow paused, "And what makes you so sure that I would let you anywhere near my... projects?" he asked. Oh he was so close. She was a step away from digging her own grave. And for what? To save those refugees?

"It's not like I can go anywhere. You'll probably kill me the minute you suspect a single thing"

"Correct Elizabeth" he replied, and began approaching her slowly, yet again. This time, she didn't step back. She looked up, the prey waiting the inevitable slow torture that the predator had indeed prepared for her.

"So, let's lay out some guidelines, shall we?" he asked, almost pleasantly, but knowing that she had already basically sold her soul to him. She nodded.

"I will send you the medications, enough of it to save that pathetic little refugee camp of yours, and then some. I don't care what you do with the medicine." he began, "But the minute you betray this agreement, that's it. I stop sending you the medicine. And hell, maybe I'll just decide that the camp has indeed become a nuisance" The threat lingered in the air as she nodded, biting back a gulp that she desperately wanted to take.

"In return for my generosity, you are at my beck and call. Make one mistake, disobey me for even the smallest detail and the deals off. If you even think about trying to change my mind or find some loophole, you and that entire camp are dead" he continued, gauging her expressions and reactions.

She nodded.

"So, before we officially complete this deal, there is one more thing I should ask."

She nodded once more.

"You do understand that I could force you to give up your life or someone else in exchange for these medications. You do understand that it will be your fault that they died?" he asked, enjoying the feeling of prolonging her shame, anguish, guilt and certainly her fear.

"The needs of many outweigh the needs of the few" she replied quietly, now her head was bowed down, but it didn't stop him for seeing the first evidence of tears well up in her eyes.

The judge has called the court to order.

_**She's done.**_

_Well it was her choice. And now my friend, we can let the fun truly begin._

"Come here" Crane motioned for her to come over behind his desk. Slowly, she walked over, her eyes glued firmly to the ground. For Crane, he was feeling an exhilarating energy course through his veins. He had her! She was completely his. He couldn't bother to remember her before this meeting, but she had managed to bring him such an...intriguing case, who was he to deny himself this pleasure?

_**Yessssss, let go Crane. Let's have some fun. **_

_Duly noted._

"I don't have all day" he said as he motioned her to kneel in front of him. She obeyed, biting her lip in terror. Oh god, what she gotten herself into.

_It's for them, it's for the refugees. It's for all those people who look up to you for hope. You can do this..._

Crane had just gotten his can of spray gas and sprayed it into a cloth until it became damp. Oh, he wanted her terrified, but not so much that she would scream and fight the entire time.

Just enough to...shake things up a bit.

"Lean forward" he ordered, as he slowly let his darker counterpart take over. Oh yes, it felt so good to just... release. He took the damp cloth and put it against her face, forcing her to inhale the much less concentrated dose of his hallucinogen. Trembling, she took an inhale and already begun to feel the fear slowly creep through her mind and her soul.

"Now unzip me"

Her head sprung up as she looked at him, wide eyed and terrified. He wanted her... to do that? She had always thought of Crane as vaguely asexual, too caught up in his research to really understand human connection and contact.

_**Yeah that's right. You are going to suck me off until you drown in my cum you prim little slut.**_

_Hush...just...enjoy it _

Slowly, with trembling hands, Elizabeth reached out and grabbed a hold of his zipper, slowly pulling it down, the agonizing sound of the zip causing her to shudder as it seemed to echo throughout the room.

_It's just another test, it's just another test..._

Her heart was starting to pound like mad, practically beating out of her chest as she slowly pulled the pants down, revealing the plain grey boxers underneath, to her horror, they were tented. Her face was beat red by now, her blush extending down all over her body.

The Scarecrow grunted as she brushed against his turgid member by accident.

_**Ohh yeah, feels good doesn't it Johnny boy? Remember how it feels? Look at her, forced to obey your every darkest whim with that fear shinning in her eyes.**_

Taking a deep breath to try and calm herself (although to no avail) she began to tentatively rub him through his boxers: slowly and gently in little circles. __She'd had no experience prior to this, and the feel of his member becoming harder and more swollen with blood was honestly terrifying, especially through her drugged haze.

"That's right" the doctor over top of her cooed softly, running his fingers through her hair in gesture that should have calmed her, but made her more frightened. By now he had sat down in his chair, enjoying the wonderful forgotten feeling of a woman in between his lap.

"Come on, you can do better. Release me" he said in hushed tone, his arousal apparent not only through the tent in his boxers, but that voice that she never wanted to hear again. The voice sounded distorted, and the command was not lost.

She bit her lip and nodded, slowly peeling off the boxers and watching his erection spring forward, almost touching her lips.

"Now kiss it" he ordered her as he leaned back to enjoy the flood of sensations coursing through him. His veins felt like the were on fire, the coil in his groin was simply burning for her, waiting for her to touch it.

Licking her dry lips, Elizabeth bent down and kissed the head of his cock, slowly kissing it up and down his shaft: light and teasing kisses that made Crane want to grab her hair and shove his down her throat oh so deeply...

_**What a shy little lamb, so inexperienced. Look at how nervous and scared she is!**_

Crane groaned above her as she made way to his balls, which felt hot and heavy. She kissed them lightly, the tears now running down her cheeks as she made her way back up. She wanted to gag, she wanted to run away and hide forever, but she couldn't.

Gripping her tightly by the hair, Crane couldn't handle any more of this teasing, it had been far too long. All he could feel now was the burn in his gut, aching to take her and make her worship him.

"Now enough playing. Time to put that mouth of yours to good use" he said, the glint of mischief, victory and arousal glazing his eyes so they were the iciest of blues.

Elizabeth sniffed once, closed her eyes, opened her mouth and stuck the head of his cock into her mouth. The hot, wet heat enveloped Crane as he threw his head back and groaned.

_Oh god this felt sooooo good. _

Her tongue was licking just the tip of his head, sucking just the slightest bit as the first drops of pre-cum hit her tongue. She wanted to gag from the saltiness. But Crane was in heaven, as he felt her begin to bob and down gently, the slight puckering and popping sound her mouth made were almost as good as her screams.

Up and down she went, her saliva and his pre-cum mixing together to form a lubricant over his shaft so that she could glide up and down easier. Her hair had fallen to frame a sort of curtain around her face, blocking her from the outside view. But Crane would have none of that, pushing her hair behind her ears so he could watch and savour her expressions as much as her actions.

_Just... a bit... more... _

The tension she was building up was unbearable, and he felt ready to explode. Her mouth and her hand moving on him were heavenly. Grabbing her head a little more forceful then necessary, he forced her to go all the way down, so that the tip of his cock touched her throat.

She gagged and he sighed in pleasure.

It felt like bliss to Crane, as he gripped her hair tighter and made her go up and down, her throat constricting around his member was a simple bonus to it all.

_**Oh yeah, I have so missed this... **_

As the tension grew higher and higher, Crane could feel himself peaking towards ecstasy. He felt like everything was going in fast motion, and as she picked up the pace, his panting grew louder. And then he looked down. When he saw her tear-stained face, the absolute terror on her face from her actions, that's when he lost it.

_**Yes, yes... YES!**_

And with a grunt, he came into her mouth, watching as her eyes widened slightly as she forced herself to swallow the creamy white liquid. Breathing deeply as soon as he ejaculated, he took one last look through heavy eyelids at her, coughing, dribbling cum out of her lips and the shame written all over her face.

It was quiet moment while both parties recovered, each one breathing heavily (but both for very different reasons). The quietness hung in the office, almost calming and relaxing after the culminating hour that had just happened.

The judge had delivered his sentence.

Fixing himself up, Dr. Crane was the first to speak as he stood up, the only sign of of their previous activity being the slightly mused hair and flush to his cheeks.

"Well, Ms. Razumov, I will have the medication sent with you on your way out.

**~ Two weeks later~**

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" the cry was heard from across the compound. Elizabeth, her arms full of bags, dropped them as she enveloped the child in a bone crushing hug.

"Where were you?" the little boy, Jacob, asked.

"I was... working" she replied simply, her usual response when the young ones asked about her day. The adults knew better, obviously. But they didn't say anything. As long as they got their supplies, they didn't need to know the horrors that she faced. There were over 60 permanent residents in her camp. It was nothing compared to the 12 million people living in Gotham, but at least it was something. She got their medicine.

End of story.

As the others began organizing the packages she had brought, she tiredly walked to her room. Lugging her feet as she arrived at her bedroom, she threw herself onto the bed as she virtually collapsed. She closed her eyes as her mind replayed the horrors she had to suffer that day. Crane was merciless today. Usually he made her test out the potency of his fear gas on herself or on an unsuspecting other. Today, he had forced herself with an injection of his newest fear gas. This one was not only more potent, but also made her act out aggressively.

She had nearly killed a homeless man.

And Crane just stood there, casually observing her and making the mental calculations to his mix.

She was just so tired.

The judge had delivered her sentence two weeks ago, now she was doing her time.

**A/N:** Blush... well there you go! Just wanted to add a bit of smut because the annoying little plot bunny refused to leave. And this is one-shot: so I hop you enjoyed it =)


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